There are a variety of various styles of lawn mowers used both domestically, commercially, and for all facets of maintaining efficient lawn care, but predominantly, most of the more durable type of riding mower arrangements are employed by the commercial lawn care organizations, and may include further and additional accessories, in the nature of spreaders, sprayers, and the like, for use for facilitating complete lawn care during performance of such procedure. An example of apparatuses that may be utilized in conjunction with some type of a movable vehicle, such as a lawn mower, roller, or the like, and which includes accessories for facilitating the further treatment of the lawn, such as with the spraying of fertilizer, herbicide, or the like, can be seen in a variety of prior art patents. An example of such a patent is shown in the U.S. patent to Maples, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,697, which is upon a spraying apparatus, per se, which is attached to and used in conjunction with a mowing apparatus, as can be seen.
The prior patent to Harrell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,020, discloses another form of spray attachment for lawn mowers. This particular sprayer attachment includes a spray rod, with a sprayer tip, and which is in fluid communication with its container that supplies the necessary fluid to the sprayer during usage.
The prior patent to Grote, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,308, shows a mower having fluid dispersion characteristics. In this particular instance, there is disclosed a grass cutting apparatus, in the form of a riding mower, and which has constructed into its various structural features a spraying apparatus terminating with a hand-held spraying wand, as can be noted.
Another patent disclosure that shows means for spraying a surface is shown in the prior patent to Domingue, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,803, which shows a centrifugal combination sprayer/cutter apparatus. In this particular instance, it includes a sprayer means operatively associated with the under carriage of the cutting means, so that as it sprays a fluid downwardly, it may encounter the rotating cutting blades, and be disseminated during a lawn cutting performance.
The patent to Conley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,676, discloses a multi-purpose lawn care machine. This particular machine combines, at its frontal portion, a further wheeled accessory which includes a fertilizer storage bin, at its frontal portion, and a spray gun operatively associated therewith for providing for the spraying of the contained fluid.
Earlier prior art patents that disclosed prior developments as means for spreading fertilizer, or other components, onto the surface of the lawn, can be seen in the prior patent to Garber, U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,648, upon a broadcast spreader attachment for garden tractors.
The patent to Bailey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,256, discloses a tramlining device for a seed drill. This is a form of accessory, that is mounted to the towing bar of a tractor or similar other towing vehicle.
The patent to Baran, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,004, shows another form of spray unit, mounted on the back end of the disclosed tractor chassis.
The patent to Block, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,325, discloses a method and apparatus for applying liquid and dry lawn treatment materials, but in this particular instance, is mounted onto a wheeled vehicle that is pushed or motivated by a motor, with the worker walking therebehind.
The patent to Smith, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,002, shows a hitch mounted carrier assembly and method. This particular hitch is a tubular type of interconnection, for use, in this particular instance, as the attachment of a carrier assembly to the back end of the shown vehicle.
The patent to Kayser, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,218, shows another type of device for spraying liquids with a small tractor, wherein the liquid reservoir which may hold the fertilizer, or the like, and is attached on a carriage at the back end of the shown tractor.
Hence, the variety of prior art patents in existence, as can be reviewed from the foregoing summary, generally disclose some type of attachment of a accessory, in most instance a fertilizer sprayer, generally to the back end of some form of a riding vehicle, normally, a small tractor.
The current invention, on the other hand, provides an improved means for providing more portability to the attachment of such accessories, in this particular instance, primarily a spreader, as distinct from a sprayer, through the usage of a unique form of mounting bracket, that works quite effectively to allow for the accessories to be instantly connected thereto, or disengaged, in preparation for their usage, or removal. In addition, this invention provides means for the improved automatic operations of a spreader, once it has been installed, so that all the operator need to do, to initiate a spreading function, is simply to press a singular button, or other actuating means, to provide instantaneous functioning of the spreader, thereby allowing the operator to continue to control the tractor, and avoid any mishaps, or other problems, that may occur due to lack of attention.
The principle of this invention is to provide means for furnishing stable mounting of removable accessories to a lawn mower, whether it be of the riding type, or the walk behind type, so as to allow the lawn care worker to immediately place into operation the various accessories required during servicing of a lawn, or to remove the same from operation, without too much delay. In addition, the further principle of this invention improves upon the structure and functionality of a fertilizer or other granular material spreader, of the type that is used in conjunction with a tractor, or riding mower, or which may be built into the structure of the same, so as to allow the operator to simply initiate the operations of the spreader, once installed, through the actuation of a singular switch, either by hand or foot, that provides both an opening for dispensing by the spreader, for routine usage during spreading of such type of material, and then instantly causes reclosure, upon disengagement of its actuating switch.
This invention contemplates the structural improvement to the lawn care mower, whether it be of the riding type, the walk-behind type, or the more advanced style of mowers that include a zero turning radius, and which have become in vogue particularly in the lawn care business. Normally, such a mower has a spreader, and in many instances, a sprayer, attached to it, enabling the service man to both spray for weeds, and to apply lawn fertilization to the ground surface, simultaneously while mowing the lawn during the conduct of lawn care service. Usually, though, the service man will initially cut the lawn, and then go back over it to provide for either a spreading of the fertilizer, or spraying of the herbicide, followed by the spreading or spraying which has not already been performed previously. Essentially, though, the function of this invention is to provide for the allowance of the attachment of a sprayer, but more preferably a spreader, to the riding mower, as an accessory, as it is needed, so that these types of accessories may be applied to either the newly constructed mowers, or even those that have been in existence for some time, generally accessorizing these type of components, to complement all the needs of the service man, while fully treating and caring for a lawn.
Usually, these types of accessories, as for example, currently used with a zero turning radius type of riding mower, will include a sprayer, generally at the back end, and which includes a small tank, mounted thereto, powered by a battery, and which can dispense the liquid herbicide to the surface of the lawn, during its usage, and when required. In addition, a spreader, the type that will spread granular or pelletized type of fertilizer, to the surface of the lawn, can be applied through the current invention, once again, as an accessory, rather than an integrally built structure, that may be applied, as needed, to the riding mower, and functioned, as required. When the spreader is initiated, for usage, another feature of this invention is to add to the convenience of the worker, and provide for a one-switch actuation of the spreader, to initiate its opening, for dispensing of its fertilizer, and to sustain such during usage, until such time as the switch means is deactivated, thereby allowing for a close-off of the spreader, and a curtailing of its spreading of the fertilizer, simply through the efforts of the operator by depressing a single switch, at one time, to provide complete control thereof.
These are examples of the types of accessories that may be used in conjunction with the current invention, and which adds to their portability, providing for their mounting through a various style of bracket directly to the structure or chassis of the mower, but which can be promptly removed, when not required for usage. In addition, this invention further enhances the instantaneous and singular switch control of the operations of, preferably, the fertilizer spreader through simply depressing only a single switch, to attain complete operations of the spreader, and deactivating the switch, to curtail the same. These are the features that function as improvements to initially accessorize these types of components for use in conjunction with a mower, and at the same time, to allow for such accessory""s quick functioning, simply through the manipulation, at one time, of a singular switch.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide means for accessorizing various attachments to, for example, a zero turning radius mower, so that sprayers, but particularly fertilizer spreaders, may be attached to the mower, as required for usage.
Another object of this invention is to provide for the convenience of usage of accessories in conjunction with a riding mower, or other type of mower, that may complement and complete the various styles of accessories that may be needed by the lawn care specialist, all for use in conjunction with the singular mower that may be owned or employed by the service man, during servicing of a customer""s lawn.
Another object of this invention is to provide for an attachment means, or mounting bracket, that may allow for the very quick and prompt attachment of such accessories to the mower, in preparation for usage, or its removal, when no longer required.
Still another object of this invention is to reduce and minimize the effort that must be employed by the service man, while utilizing such a mower, allowing him/her to simply initiate the operations of, for example, a fertilizer spreader, first by depressing or actuating a singular switch.
These and other objects may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of the invention as provided herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in light of the drawings.